Monday, November 19, 2007

I was thinking the other day that sometimes I tend to rant a little on this here blog about how difficult it is for immigrants to find out what they need to know to make a successful transition into Canadian life. I guess no one (except, sometimes, the government) ever promised us a rose garden...Then I thought, you know, J - you can use this here blog to gather some of those resources and help people who may not have stumbled onto them yet. So, in that spirit, I'll try and be better about posting the sites that I find here on The Mind. My caveat will be that what I post may be a bit Ontario/Toronto-centric - but why that is should be obvious!Here we go - I hope these are of assistance to you. Settlement.org - a cool site for those of us heading for Ontario, full of helpful information on getting oriented. Employment, education, housing, health and more are covered. World Education Services - need your education credentials verified? This firm has been awarded the contract to do just that for Ontario. Access to Professions and Trades - this portal will help you understand the often complicated and difficult road trained professionals in other countries must follow in order to put their hard-earned professional skills to work in Canada. Try not to get irritated...Directory of immigration resources - The BC government has put together this resource guide - very complete and helpful! Way to go BC!Immigration resources - A nifty little set of links (BC oriented) for those starting their journey.One Stop Canada - this site claims to either have it all, or have it linked! Too exhaustive to even dent, this one will keep you busy and get you informed. Please let me know if these sorts of posts help you!

Monday, November 12, 2007

What day is today? It's the day our application was submitted to Immigration Canada! After the work and worry and wait for everything to be just right, proofed and considered again, the application is complete and ready and the courier came to our Toronto lawyer's office and delivered it to the CIC. I'm so nervous and excited. So here's my prayer - I believe if you read it and agree with it, then God will continue to remember it. If you are in this process too, may this also be your prayer: "Lord, please bless this application. You said in the Psalms, "Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this." The desire of my heart is to be able to build a life in Canada with my love, whom you brought to me. Please place this application in compassionate hands. Please open the hearts of those who would pass judgement over my love and I. Please, in your mercy, allow this application to be successful, that I may be united with my love soon. Thank you for your mercy and for the love you have brought to my life. Thank you for every good thing you have always done for me. Thank you for your son, Jesus, who gave everything for me and my love. Lord, hear my prayer." Thank you everyone who has been so encouraging to me through the years of this blog. Here we go! ....days, and counting!

Wednesday, November 07, 2007

I posted a few weeks back about the US having attained the unenviable position as the top country in the world for imprisioning it's own people. Through "get tough on crime" initiatives, mandatory minimum sentances which take away the descrection of judges, and "strikes" laws (one, two, three - you're out - sorry - you're IN for LIFE), one in every 31 American adults is now in jail or prison.Once the convicted have served their time, the new industry of background checks (driven by the insurance industry) keeps anyone with a criminal record from ever getting a decent job again. So what does the US population think of this? Well I can only tell you about my state, Washington. In a state election on Tuesday, voters approved a measure that allows the state to contract with private employers to provide prisoners for the production of goods. See - the prisoners owe the state restitution for their crimes - often amounting to tens of thousands of dollars. Since they wont get a job on the outside to pay what they owe, the state wants them to work it off on the inside. Now in principal this would be fine (job training, the ability to earn a living), except that the state only pays the prisoners pennies per hour for the work they do - NOT the state's minimum wage, and that the firms that hire the prisoners INSIDE will never hire them outside, once they have completed their sentances. What this amounts to is state-sponsored slave labor. I don't recognize my country anymore.